Rein-guard



(No Model.)

' H. C. BARLOW.

REIN GUARD.

110.431.314. Y Patented my 1, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. BARLOIV, OF XENIA, INDIANA.

REIN-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,314, dated July 1, 1890.

Application filed April 7 1890. Serial No. 346,834. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may 0071/067471,.-

Be it known that I, HENRY C. BARLOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Xenia,

-in the county of Miami and State of Indiana,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rein-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved guard to prevent a horse from swinging his tail over the driving-reins.

The objectof my improvement is to so con-I struct a guard for holding the lines closely along the top of the horses rump thatit may rmly maintain its position and allow the quick and convenient removal of the reins therefrom.

Figure l isa plan showing the guard in position on the horse. Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the guard.

A is a flat substantially rectangular plate, preferably of leather, having attached to opposite ends a pair of short straps B B, each provided at its free end with a loop C, through which the ordinary hip-straps I) D ot' a harness are passed.

E is a metallic loop secured at its opposite ends to the plate A in such a manner that there is an opening F between the top ot' the plate and the under bar of the loop, through which space the orupper strap I-I passes. Preferably the ends of the straps B B are put between the loop and the plate, and the loop is secured to the plate, and the straps are at the same time secured by screws passing through the plate and the straps into the loop.

For the purpose of easily introducing and holding the `reins into the loop and removing -them therefrom the upper bar I of the loop is formed with a central removable piece J, which is mounted centrally on a post K, extending from'the other side of the loop, so as to turn in a horizontal plane thereon. The ends of the piece J and the adjacent ends of the remainder of the bar are out so as to overlap, so that the piece J can turn in one direction only. A coiled spring S is mounted Von post K, and the ends of the spring are secured, respectively, to the bottom bar of the loop E and to the swinging` piece J, the arrangement being such that when the piece J is turned to the position indicated in dotted lines, Fig. l, the reins may be passed into the loop through the opening thus formed, and the tension of the spring is increased and tends to restore the piece J to a position in line with the rest of the bar I.

I claim as my inventionl. In a rein-guard, the combination of the base-plate A, adapted to be secured to the harness, the metallic loop E, having one bar secured to the said base-plate, so that the loop projects vertically at right angles to the plate, the central post K, arranged in aplane of the loop, the piece J, pivoted at its center to the post and arranged to form a portion of the bar I of the loop, and the spring S, mounted 011 the post and arranged to hold the swinging piece J normally in line with bar I, all

substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the crupper-strap and the hip-straps of a harness, of the baseplate A, having straps B B secured thereto at one end and provided with loops to receive the hip-straps at their other ends, the met-allic loop having post K, spring S, and swinging section J, and mounted on plate A, so as to receive the crupper-strap between them, all arranged to co-operate substantially as and for the purpose speciied.

HENRY C. BARLOW.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN F. AGNEss, RoscoE KIMPLE. 

